This is also the week every year when I have to fight envy the hardest. And I think there are a lot of guys who do. It’s rare that I’ve ever thought, “Boy, would I love to be THAT guy,” and even on those rare occasions it’s only been over one particular thing. But every year the first week or so of April, I wish I could be Jim Nantz for a week.

I can’t imagine how cool it would be to call the Final Four and then go straight to calling the Masters. I’d be happy just getting to go as a fan.

And every time I start to feel that way, I get a little guilty, because I remember how incredibly blessed I am. I’ve been able to go to the Masters twice:  Once with VIP treatment, and once with my dad and my son. Both times were amazing. And while I haven’t been to a Final Four (yet), I have been to NCAA tournament games, and I got to see UVA win an ACC Tournament in 2014.

I once asked a friend of mine at Celebrate Recovery, “How’s life treating you?” He said, “Much better than I deserve.” That really made me think. Even if I had only seen the Masters and the Final Four on TV, I’ve been blessed so incredibly far beyond what I deserve. I have a wonderful wife, a great family, and I get to do what God called me to do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg—there are so many ways beyond that that I’ve been blessed… far beyond what I deserve.

Part of Lent is recognizing the incredible blessings God has given us—chief among them being the grace and eternal life we have because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. The word “grace” literally means, “getting what you don’t deserve.” And that’s just what God provides us—an opportunity to receive forgiveness and eternity in heaven, when we deserve just the opposite.

And so, as we pray today, let’s spend some time thanking God for the fact that we’re all blessed far beyond what we deserve.

And Mr. Nantz, if you’re reading this, if one year you want to take off that week in April and need someone to fill in for you, I’m just saying I’m here.